Containers for disk-shaped articles



Dec. 18, 1962 O. A ZZARRI CONTAINERS FOR DISK-SHAPED ARTICLES Filed Nov. 23, 1960v l'/NvEN'roR Orldndo Azzurri ATTDRNEY United States Patent Oil-ice 3,069,213 Patented Dec. 18, 1962 This invention relates to a container for gramophone records and like disk-shaped articles.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a container of this type which consists of a rigid box-like body with at least substantially plane coherent sides, at least two of said sides having parallel slots therein which are all located in different planes, and inside the slots through which the disk-shaped articles are to be inserted for safekeeping, the box-like body is provided with guides for the disk-shaped articles. The invention thus provides a simple, stable and cheap container which in regard to its size permits accommodation of a maximum number of disk-shaped articles. Moreover, the diskshaped articles are easy to get at and at the same time the container can be equipped with labels or like indicating means `between said slots giving information on the disk-shaped articles inserted through said slots for safekeeping in the container.

Further features of the invention and the advantages thereof will become apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates some embodiments, chosen by way of example, of a container specifically intended for gramophone records. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container;

FIGS. 2-4 are horizontal sections of three different embodiments of the container, the sections being taken immediately above a gramophone record;

FIG. is a vertical section, on -a larger scale, taken through a slot of the container shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective View of part of the exterior side of the container provided with a label.

In the drawing 1 designates the rigid box-like body which has at least substantially plane adjoining sides. At least two of the sides of the body 1 have provided therein parallel and horizontal slots 1 which are all located in different planes. Inside the slots 2 through which the gramophone records 3 are to be inserted for safekeeping in the container, the box-like body 1 is provided with guides 4 and 5, respectively, which serve to guide the records 3 when inserted in and withdrawn from4 the body 1 and to support them while they are being kept in the body 1.

In the illustrated preferred embodiments the box-like body 1 is of rectangular, preferably square cross section, all four sides having slots 2 for the records 3 to pass through. Should it `be impossible to get at one of the sides of the body 1, e.g. because of the cramped space in a record player equipped with a container according to the invention, slots 2 are provided only in three of the four sides of the rectangular body 1.

As will appear from the embodiments according to FIGS. 2-4 the box-like body 1 is not solid but hollow, the sides of the body being the walls of a box. According to FIGS. 2 and 3 the guides 4 are in the form of grooves provided in the inner sides of said walls. In FIG. 4, however, the guides 5 are constituted by rods or wires disposedat the undersides of, and extending at right angles to, the slots 2. The rods or wires 5 are spaced a relatively small distance from those sides of the body 1 to which they are parallel.

Stop means 6, 7 and 8, respectively, are arranged in the box-like body 1 to arrest the movement for inserting the records 3 through the slots 2 when the records have arrived in the desired position of safekeeping in the container. In FIG. 2 the stop means 6 are constituted by the ends of the grooves 4. In FIG. 3 the side of the body 1 opposite to the slot 2 or a special member of suitable softness on that side constitutes the stop means 7. In FIG. 4 the rods or Wires 5 have upwardly bent portions 8 serving as stop means for the record 3.

At the mid-portion of its outer sides the box-like body 1 is vertically recessed at 9, and the records 3 in the inserted position thereof project into said recesses 9 to enable grasping the records 3 for their withdrawal from the body 1. The recesses 9 are formed by providing vertical grooves perpendicular to the slots Z in the body 1 at the middle of each outer side thereof.

Each of the slots 2 is approximately of the same height as the central portion of the gramophone record 3 while the distance between the slots 2 in each of the sides of the box-like body is equal to the height of a slot multiplied by the number of other sides which have slots 2. In the embodiments illustrated in which all four sides of the body 1 have slots 2 the distance between the slots 2 in each side of the body, is thus equal to three times the height of a slot.

When the container is full the gramophone records 3 may in principle lie on top of each other. however, it should 'be seen to it that the records 3 are spaced slightlyapart so as not to slide on each other when inserted and withdrawn. That the records 3 can lie so close together is due to their being thicker at the centre than at the periphery where there is thus left the required space for the guides 4 and 5, respectively.

As will appear from FIG. 6 the slotted sides of the body 1 can be equipped between the slots 2 with labels 10 or like indicating means on which the titles are given of the records 3 inserted in the body 1 through the slots 2 therein. The sides of the body 1 can have holders for the labels 10, and according to FIG. 6 the holder 11 is a .dovetail groove which is open towards the corner of the body 1 and into which the label 10 can be slid.

The container according to the invention can be made from any material whatever. The walls of the body 1 which are fundamentally identical with each other can thus be made from wood. They may also to advantage consist of a moulded hard plastic material.

As will be evident from the foregoing description the container may be built into a piece of furniture but it may also constitute a unit in itself, which is mounted for rotation on a support consisting of a bottom plate or the like.

The above embodiments of the invention were described for purposes of illustration rather than limitation. All possible variations and modifications of the invention are understood as being included within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A magazine for phonograph records and like thin disc-shaped articles comprising a generally rectangular parallelepiped body of generally rectangular cross-section with four substantially plane adjoining side walls, each of said four side walls having therein a plurality of spaced parallel slots, said slots in any one side wall being in different planes than the planes of said slots in any other one of said remaining three side walls, guides associated with said slots for said disc-shaped articles, each of said slots in any one side wall forming with said guides and the remaining side walls a pocket with insertion and removal opening only in the slot side, the spacing dimension on any one side wall between two adjacent slots being at least as great as twice the smaller dimension of the slot so as to provide labelling 4area and at the same In practice,

dimension between adjacent stop means being at least twice as great as the Smaller dimension of each slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Pert Apr. 29, 1873 McLane et a1 Aug. 8, 1905 Krueger Feb. 12, 1918 Purdy Mar. 1, 1955 Martin Aug. 28, 1956 

